Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

Absolutely. That was before she got submerged in the amorphous mass of scriptwriters, advisers, consultants, spinners and so on over there. I listened with interest to what she had to say only a few days ago, when she expressed concern at the speed with which this issue was being dragged before the House. She was right to do so and I hope she will be able to come to the House and express it here. It is owed to us in the Opposition that any Member on the Government side who has such concerns stand up, voice them and vote next week in accordance with them. Then we will know exactly who is calling the shots opposite and be able to tell the people on exactly what basis decisions are being made for them and explain the choices before them when they go to the polls on 11 June. The indecent haste with which this proposal has been brought before the House is clearly a result of careful consideration by the Government — I presume by both parties. I wonder, since the Tánaiste has called for at least 250,000 non-national workers in the country on more than one occasion in the last three years, why we now see some of those people listed as the cause of the legislation's introduction.

If there is an immigration problem, we have a right to know what it is and its full extent rather than hearsay, anecdotal evidence or "Dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi." We must have specific information, but every time we seek it, it is not forthcoming. There are other Members opposite, I have no doubt at all, who are very fair-minded people and know what the score is. They are asking themselves in their own minds and consciences what the real story behind this is, and they are right. We are being told about a loophole, but that suggests there are large numbers of people breaking the law or using it to bypass our immigration statutes.

I cannot see how that can be done except, as someone has said, over a very long number of years by people who are using their birthright to do so. As others on this side of the House have said, I cannot understand how that is happening, given that Irish women going abroad on numerous occasions in recent years, if in an advanced stage of pregnancy, were told they could not travel. I concede that there were reasons for that. It was inconvenient, but they had to accept it. However, I cannot understand why there is such a mad rush coming here in the opposite direction.

There seems to be a pattern, something we heard about a few months ago when the Department of Social and Family Affairs decided to introduce several cuts very conveniently applying to the so-called "hungry hordes" that are about to descend upon this island from eastern Europe from 1 May. Certain restrictions on their entitlements to social welfare benefits or assistance were introduced. Without a shadow of a doubt they are in breach of European law and, if tested in European courts, will fail. It was an immediate sign of what the Government was thinking. I was told on more than one occasion that no horde was coming from anywhere to descend on the country. We are lucky to have achieved some degree of economic independence after a very long time and a list of broken promises.

Before us is a proposal to deflect public attention from the Minister for Health and Children's failure to deliver on health services in Blanchardstown Hospital, Naas Hospital and Peamount Hospital. Likewise, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, has failed to deliver on crime and provide the extra gardaí promised before the last general election. The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Noel Dempsey, has failed, apart from engaging with the teachers to tell them how he wished to be interviewed by them, to provide an adequate education service and school buildings the length and breadth of this country. Virtually every Department has failed to deliver on its promises before the last general election. I hope the people of this country will see through this smokescreen and emerge on 11 June to give the Government the answer it deserves.

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